Work holder



July 4, 196i R. P. GARRIsoN WORK HOLDER Filed Aug. 24, 1959 1NVENTOR, ,PMP/f 6mm/50N BYE ,97' rofPA/Y United StafS Patent@ f Ohio Y A Filed-Aug.LZ4,=-1959, SenNo. 835,616 11 Claims. (1.27 9-1) This invention relates to a worklholder "and more' par# ticularlyto a diaphragm type chuck device.

While prior art is replete with avariety of chuck`devices, the great majorityare designed 'for particular and limited'applcation andare costly to fabricate. Those' designed for general usefhave a tendency to be complex and not too adaptable; Cost has been a factor of considerableconcern in any instance.` i

The present invention answers a definite 'need in .the art. IftI 'provides a-cheap and exceedingly rsimplechuck device which can easily adapt toa-multitude of applications. Its component structure isso basic it 'leaves 'no room for malfnction 'and` maintenance problems are sub-A stantially eliininatedf` It'soperation requires no skill'and a minimum of intelligence;1

Aprimaryobjectof the invention isto provide a chuckdevice.which"is""cheap to fabricate, lmoreeiiicientand satisfactoryin use, adaptable to a wide variety of vapplications anu unlikely to malfunction.` A

Another objectof the invention istoprovide improved' chuck apparatus the fabrication of i which involves a minimum of material and labor.y

A further objectoftheiinvention is to provide a cheap work holder whichiwillipositively function in a simple and elfective manner.

Another object of the-invention is to provide a-..novel diaphragm type, chuck' Anadditional. object of the invention is to `'provide improved chuck-'apparatus of 'ardiaphragm type including workretention means "integrated to one face of la resilient diaphragm. whereby a simple llexing of the` diaphragm will Icause` the work retention means to iiiiya work piece thereto.

" mounted to extend 2,991,084 Patented July 4, 1961 ice reciprocated `relative 'the plate '1. Details of the controls7 arenotshown sincethey are notpertinent to the present invention.` i

The draw -barZ'projects relative the plate 1 to mount an'aunulardiaphragm '3 of resilient flexible material-'about its projected extremity; The diaphragm; which is 'preferablyof metal; abuts a shoulder 4` on the drawbar to establish itsoutertfacesubstantially4 ush with the outer end of the draw bar. A plate 5 xed over Ithe end ofthe drawbar confines the-inner peripheral portionY of the diaphragmfto the shoulder 4. y TheKA diaphragmis-'thusv generally parallel tothe outer face `of, the'plate 1. i

Three tool-balls 7 warexed by-their pin portions s circularlyY spaced relationon theperipheral portion of the diaphrag'm toY havetheir sphericalA portions project to and"bar,ontheouterfaceof-fthe platev 1.` A pair of annulargaskets 8'and9iof resilient materialseat between the diaphragm' and plateel 'to coniine and form a-seall aboutA the projected spherical'` portions of the toolballs:

` The diaphragm 3 is also provided with three circularly arranged"apertures-'10Y spaced radially-inward ofrthe balls -7.

Fixed ltotlie outermost face of-"the diaphragm 3 in cir-j cularly* spaced relation and uniformly displaced`` from apertures-10am rightangled'lug elements 11. Oneleg 12 of^`ieachelement 11 Vnormallyprojects outwardly at right :angles Ito ythe-diaphragm, whilethe otherleg13 seats/tothe fabe'of the diaphragm,-directed radially inwardly -to its" center'. The face fofieach'leg 12`adjacent the innerfportion-of the diaphragm is arcuately yformed and generallyconvex: 'Ihe convex surfaces of thetlugs 11 mutuallyfcooperateto hold a work pieceas will? be described. Limitstuds 14 ttixed at right anglesrtothe plate 1 project through the apertures linfthe diaphragm v 3"'to limit movement of u:aworkpiece inwardly/,to4 the A further object of the invention isto provide chucking apparatus .possessingrthe vadvantageous .structural features, the inherentmen'torious characteristics. and the mode of operation .herein mentioned.` t

With .the above .and other incidental /objectsfin .vie as will more fully appear in the.specilic'zattion,4 the invention intended to be protected by Letters .Patent consistsv of the features' of constructiomthe parts Vand .combinations thereof, andfth'e mode-of operationas hereinafter de# plate 1.

An illustrative embodimentof the invention isY thus provided;Y In use -a Work'piece is axiallydirected inwardly tothe outer -face'of rthe'dia'phragm; T he lugs '11 will'be positioned --to peripherally outlinethework piece which seats'tothe-diaphragm` therebetween.y Thev limitv studs 14 insurefthe Aproper'control ofthe inwardmovementfof thework piece.' As l#the work -piece is seatedthe 4draw bar is Yoperated by conventional controls'fto retract'np wardlyof platetl to' thereby retract the'centerof'the scribed orillustrated .in the'accom an t' .drawin or p ymg gs tion free adlustment of therdiaphragm by the drawfbar their equivalents..

Referring ,to the accompanying, drawings. wherein .is shown one but obviously not necessarily, the-onlyfrm ofembodiment of theV invention,

FIG. `1 isa plan view of theface of a chuckdevicein accordancewith theinvention., v

FIG.` 2` is across sectional view of Ya chuckingmnit incorporating. the device Vof'FIG."` l, taken alongline 2 2 thereof, and p t FIG. Sis-afragmentary sectional lview of'fa modification ofthe chuckdeviceof F-IG. 1..

Like parts .are indicatedby tsimilarcharacters of reference throughout -the several views.;v The invention .can be best describ'edwith reference` to the embodiment .in thev accompanying drawings, which is adapted to be applied to. thefacewplate of anytmachine tool.

A centrally apertured plate 1 isshown for mounting'to the face plate of a'machinetoo'l to provide. abearing'for a draw bar '2;' Tli'e draw Abar#operatively"comnectseto suitable controls provided inthetool' whereby it may be diaphragm and produce aconcavity in `its `outer` face. The lperipheral portions of the diaphragm have a uniform spacing from vplate '1 maintained by the spherical portions of tool balls 7 which roll on the plate 1 Yas the center-of the diaphragm is retracted.y This providesrelatively fricandrinsures the concavity ,induced therein will Vbe uniform throughout.'V Fatigueof ylthediaphragm material asit' is flexedandrefle'xed by the drawbar is therebyminimized.` The drawing of the center offthe diaphragm inwardly to plate'l causes the projected portions 12 of lug elements 11 to" automatically and 'mutually converge in yprecision fashion'.l The convex surfaces ofelernents 11 iclampithe work-piece in algentle but rm fashion that produces "no stressn` or damage to the work piece; These same con vex surfacesenable a definitev smooth centering of the work piece.

As `may beseen; the workpiece is simplyyet effectively clamped to the diaphragm 'with an absolute minimumof stress and strainL either on 'the work piece, the-chuck .come pouents, or thefchuck' operator. The device is cheap"to fabricate -andvse land may be readily'modied for external chucking` applications inl a` manner believed obvious.- Thus; chuckA apparatus is' provided which' 'is capable not onlyMfredueingchucklcosts -to aconsiderable degree but also of f'nctioning'ina trouble -free -eflcientl manner.V

Reference is made to FIG. 3 of the drawings for a chuck device `as in FIG. 1 modified and adapted for selective internal or external chucking. The structure of the device of FIG. 3 is identical in character to that of FIGS.

l and 2 with the following exceptions. Here, the pro-A jected legs 12' of the lugs 11' have their faces, respectivelyto the inner and outer portions of the diaphragm 3', both arcuately formed and generally convex. Also, brackets. 15 are added which -are fixed by screws to project-fromthe outer face of plate 1 in circularly arranged relation,` spaced slightly outward of the outer peripheral edge of the resilient diaphragm 3. I

Each of the brackets project beyond the outer face of the diaphragm. Their projecting extremities have right angled portions directly radially inward of and in overlapping slightly spaced relation to the outer peripheral edge of the diaphragm. These .right angled portions of the brackets uniformly limit movement of the outer peripheral edge of the diaphragm outwardly of plate 1'. Each of these right angled portions also have an undercut in the path of movement of the periphery of the diaphragm whereby to accommodate its adjustment irrespective of whether the diaphragm is exed inwardly or outwardly. t

` -In using the modified version of the invention for internal chucking, the draw barshown in FIG. 1 of the drawings is moved outwardly of plate 1 to produce a uniform central convexity in the outer face of the connected diaphragmv 3. This is insured by containment of the peripheral edge of the diaphragm by the brackets 15. In this instance the outer convex faces ofthe legs 12' of lugs 11 diverge to mutually cooperate to internally engage and hold a work piece in a precise damage free condition due to the smooth gentle centering enabled thereby as previously described. The nature and manner of application of the invention in this form is believed to be so obvious as to require no further detailed description. K

From the above description it will be apparent that there isY thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modication in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement'of parts witout departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages. Y While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language morev or less specific as to structural features, it is `to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise but one of several modes of putting the invention ino eiect, and the .invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims. u

'Y Having thus described my invention, I claim: v

1. Work holder apparatus including a support, a diaphragm, means mounting said diaphragm in spaced adjacent relation to one face of said support, said means including means projecting from said one face of said support into limited supporting relation to the face'of said diaphragm toward said support, said diaphragm having lugs on its face away from said support arranged to define a configuration of a work piece to be applied thereto, said lugs having a generally convex surface contour, and means bearing in said support operative to flex said diaphragm to cause said lugs to fxedly engage and smoothly center the work piece to said diaphragm. Y,

2. A work holder including a support, a relatively resilient plate mounted adjacent to one face of and separate lfrom said support, said support having means extending into limited contact with the face of said diaphragm toward said support, said diaphragm having means projecting from its face most remote from said support to define the periphery of a workpiece to be chucked thereto, said projecting means having an arcuate contouren at leastone face thereof, and means connected to lsaid plate land mounted for reciprocation in said support to cause said plate to 'be flexed, said projecting means being arranged to have their arcuate-ly contoured faces mutually engage a work piece and confine it -to said plate.

3. A work holder comprising a support, means bearing Iin said support for reciprocation relative thereto, a flexible diaphragm separate from said support connected to said means outwardly of said support, means for maintaining a uniform spacing between the peripheral portions of said diaphragm generally parallel to on'e face of and separate from said support, spacer means between the periphery of said diaphragm and said support, lugs projecting from the face of said diaphragm away from said support normally disposed at substantially right angles thereto and means for moving said diaphragm to said support, thereby flexing said diaphragm to cause said lugs to incline and become operative to fix a work piece thereto.

5. Work holder apparatus including a support,.a flexible resilient plate-like element mounted generally parallel to one face of and separate from said support and having limit elements projecting to said support at its periphery, generallycircularly spaced lugs projecting from said platelike element away from said support having arcuate contours at their inner faces in a sense longitudinally thereof, and draw bar means bearing in said support operable to ex the center of said plate-like element to dispose said lugs to smoothly center and fix a work piece to said platelike element.

6. Chucking apparatus including a support, Ia resilient diaphragm generally parallel to and separate from said verge and fix a work piece to said diaphragm.

v 7. A. work holder comprising a resilient tiexible plate for receiving a work piece, means projected f-rom one face of said plate having a convex contour arranged to define a perihperal surface of the work piece and means for producing a non-planar contour in said one face of said plate in the area of said projecting means to cause them to incline, engage and center the work piece by means of said .convex contour thereof, said last named means including -a mount in limited supporting relation to the other y face of said fiexible plate.

Y .8. A work holder comprising resilient means for receiving a work piece, means projecting relative one lface of said resilient means having oppositely convex surfaces to selectively define inner and outer peripheral surfaces of work pieces, means in limiting supporting relation to a face of said resilient means, and means connected to said resilient means operable to cause selective deformation thereof to condition said projecting means to selectively clamp a work piece by engagement of an inner or an outer peripheral surface. l

9. Chuck apparatus including a support, a flexible diaphragm separate from said support having lug elements projected from one face remote from the support, said lug elements having oppositely arranged arcuately contoured surfaces, bracket means on said support confining 5 the periphery of said diaphragm limiting its movement inward of said support and means connected centrally of the diaphragm operable to selectively ex said diaphragm in the area of said lug elements to cause them to tix a work piece in centered relation to said diaphragm.

10. Chuck apparatus including ya support, draw bar means bearing in and reciprocable in said support, a lresilient plate-like member separate from said support mounted to said draw bar means spaced outwardly from said support, work engaging means spaced about and projecting from the face of said plate-like member remote from said support and means for limiting the movement of said plate-like member relative to said support whereby on movement of said draw bar means said limit means will provide a flexing of said plate-like member to induce `a firm engagement of a work piece by said Work engaging means.

l1. Chuck `apparatus including a support, draw bar means bearing in said support and projected kfrom one face thereof, a resilient diaphragm separate from said support xed to said draw bar generally parallel to said one face of said support, spherical elements projected from and about the periphery of said diaphragm in the direction of said one face of said support for engagement thereof on movement of said draw bar inwardly of said support whereby to produce a smooth concavity in said diaphragm which is uniform and relatively stress free, `and chuck jaws on said resilient diaphragm.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,812,455 Stowell .Tune 30, 1931 2,3 89,366 Jones Nov. 20, 1945 2,538,289 Arms Jan. 16, 1951 2,582,680 Church Jan. 15, 1952 

